If there is one thing that gives me joy each time I recollect how it was founded and nurtured, it is the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP), which today is engulfed in a deep crisis of interest. Now see what greedy and self-centred people have done to a party we (like-minded and patriotic Nigerians) spent our heard-earned money and time to found! Sadly, most of those working secretly to destroy or control the party were at one time either members of other political parties or mere political neophytes. It is not my style to mention names, but those concerned know themselves.
What I intend to achieve with this piece is to trace briefly the origin of the party, the roles played by its founding fathers, the likely causes of the crises rocking the party and make necessary recommendations on how to restructure the party and curtail altercations within it in readiness for the challenges ahead.
Let me quickly point out here that I was moved to do this piece because it would be a great disservice to the party and our nation if people like us failed to call a spade a spade and shame the devil. There is no way we can fold our arms and watch the baby we bore and nurtured killed by people who derive joy in destroying what they cannot control. A cursory look at the current crises in the party will reveal a simple fact: the crises are uncalled for, and are aimed at achieving the inordinate and devious goals of some powerful individuals inside and outside the party.
The curious thing is that these crises assume new colorations and dimensions with each passing day. If it is not the governors calling for the removal of the national chairman or the party leadership suspending some governors, it is the governors' forum squabbling among itself for the control of the forum. Whichever way you may choose to look at it the whole thing smacked of greed, avarice, egocentricity and haughtiness.
Curiously, the current crises are not about mismanagement of the resources of the party, but about the control of its machinery in readiness for 2015. This vaulting ambition has pitched members against one another without caring what impact it would have on the party.
It will be proper at this juncture to trace briefly the origin of PDP in order to broaden the perspective of our discourse. It all started immediately after the death of the then Head of State, General Sani Abacha on June 8, 1998, and Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola – the supposed winner of the annulled June 12 Presidential election. Both events led to far-reaching, successive events that affected the political landscape considerably. The death of Abacha, whose administration then was planning a return to civilian rule, particularly, jolted the world, while the cause of his death is still shrouded in mystery. Afterwards, General Abdulsalami Abubakar emerged as his replacement after an all-night meeting of the Armed Forces Ruling Council (AFRC). Abubakar was in a hurry to handover to a democratically elected government in accordance with the pact he reached with the international community. And so, political alignments and realignments commenced instantly toward this goal. Five political parties were jostling for control of power before the death of Abacha. They included the United Nigerian Congress Party (UNCP), Grassroots Democratic Movement (GDM), Democratic Party of Nigeria (DPN), and National Congress Party of Nigeria (NCPN) as the top players. We were in the middle of a series of elections before Abacha passed on.
Naturally, these parties had to 'die' to metamorphose into other political entities. Because of the shortness of time, we had to work day and night to come up with a movement that would stand the test of time, bring a majority of Nigerians under one umbrella, and transform Nigeria into a global giant. These were the original goals for which PDP was founded. How sacred we have held those goals is any body's guess.
From the sleepless nights and parleys we held at various meetings across the country emerged the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP), All Nigerian Party (ANP) that later changed its name to All Nigerian Peoples' Party (ANPP), and some other splinter groups to fight for slots in the 1999 general elections. PDP and ANP were the frontline contenders. For those who did not know, PDP was founded in 1998 after the amalgamation of 34 political associations. The founding fathers of PDP included Dr. Alex Ekwueme (former Vice President and presidential aspirant in the 1999 elections), Chief Solomon Lar (former governor of Plateau in the Second Republic and first national chairman of PDP), Chief Banabas Gemade (former Minister of Works, one-time national chairman of PDP and now a senator), Chief Audu Ogbe (former minister of Communications, former national chairman of PDP, now one of the leaders of the yet-to-be-registered All Progressives' Congress – APC), Chief B.B. Apugo (member Board of Trustees of PDP), Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, the late Chief Abubakar Rimi (former governor of Kano State in the Second Republic), the late Chief Matthew Mbu (former minister of Foreign Affairs in the First Republic), the late General Joe Garba (former minister of Foreign Affairs and announcer of the Babangida coup), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (former Vice President who defected to Action Congress of Nigeria to contest for the 2011 Presidential election and is now back to PDP), Chief Graham Douglas (former minister of Sports), and Chief Rufus Ada George (former governor of Rivers State), etc.
For those who do not know: I played a prominent and pivotal role in the founding of PDP. At least, I provided the initial funding of N500 million for the take-off of the party. This is where I remember my good friend, Suleiman Takuma (first Administrative Secretary of the party) with whom I ran errands for the budding party. I also remember Alhaji Kashim Imam whose suaveness and political savvy were easily noticeable. Even though he has made several futile attempts to occupy Borno State Government House he remains an accomplished personality.
There were some other prominent Nigerians, though in different political parties then, who are today in PDP. Among them were Chief Don Etiebet (former Minister of Petroleum and founder of National Centre Party that later metamorphosed into National Congress Party of Nigeria –NCPN), Chief Bode Olajumoke – the Yoruba political turk (now a Senator and one of the founders of United Nigeria Party –UNP – that later merged with UNC to form UNCP), Chief Vincent Ogbulafor (one-time minister of Special Duties, former national chairman of PDP and former member of ANP now ANPP), Chief Empire Kanu (one of the promoters of the moribund UNP with Bode Olajumoke, and now an ambassador), etc.
If not for space, I would have loved to go on and on, because the list is inexhaustible. Nevertheless, let me quickly clarify an issue: Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was never a founding member of PDP. He was still in prison, serving a sentence for phantom coup, when we founded PDP. We facilitated his release from prison to contest for presidency since we felt it was the best way to compensate the Yoruba for the annulment of June 12 Presidential election and the subsequent death of Abiola. To be honest with you, Obasanjo was not the best material for the office of president at the time. We settled for him because we felt he would be more acceptable to the military hierarchy – his immediate constituency. Expectedly, it turned out to be a disastrous choice, though it served the purpose of helping to stabilize our nascent democracy.
The seed of discord in PDP was actually sowed during the tenure of Obasanjo as President. He was the person that destroyed the internal democracy for which PDP was known, just to achieve his self-centred, defeatist, third term agenda. Those opposed to his tenure elongation plot were automatically marked as enemies and sentenced to continual intimidation, harassment and dismissal from the party. He unleashed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on us and attempted to destroy everything connected to us. I became one of the most noticeable targets for having the audacity to vehemently oppose his president-for-life agenda. He revoked our airline's operating licence, killed our bank, and detailed the EFCC to accuse me of embezzlement – the same man he christened the action-governor of Nigeria when he came to Abia State on a state visit on February 26, 2000. He sent emissaries after emissaries to convince me to queue behind the agenda, to no avail. I stood my grounds since I was convinced the agenda was evil and undemocratic.
True to his threat, Obasanjo succeeded in chasing us (the founding fathers) out of the party through what he called re-registration exercise. The devilish exercise was primarily aimed at expunging our names from the register of the party. Aware of this injustice, I opted for a fall-back position. That was what led to the formation of the Progressives People's Alliance (PPA) in late 2006. We threw our hats into the ring less than six months to the general election, winning two governorship seats in Abia and Imo States and numerous seats in the senatorial, House of Representatives and State Assembly elections.
I, or any other founding father, especially former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, never contemplated defecting from the party. Alhaji Atiku's case was pathetic. As Vice President and a very powerful PDP man, Obasanjo saw him as a likely obstacle to his second term agenda. This was as far back as 2003. This morbid fear of Obasanjo manifested during the PDP Presidential primaries of 2003 where Atiku had all the chance in this world to become a consensus candidate. He chose to stand by his boss, not knowing that the man never trusted him. They went their several ways in 2007 after Obasanjo did everything to stop him from contesting for the 2007 Presidential election. It was the courts that finally gave Atiku the green light to formally join the race. The rest is history.
It was Obasanjo that chased us out, not the other way round, and we ran for dear life, believing that he that fights and runs away lives to fight another day.
The death of President Umaru Yar'Adua also contributed significantly to the current struggle for the control of the soul of the party. Naturally, the emergence of President Goodluck Jonathan changed the complexion of the whole political landscape. Forces within the party that had skewed their plots to succeed Yar'Adua emerged from their cocoons. They started showing their frustration and desperation in diverse ways. One of the ways is the current crisis in the party. It is only a fool that would not see the writing on the wall. The signs are there that some disgruntled elements in the party are secretly working against its continued existence. How far they can go to actualize their evil plots is yet to be seen.
To worsen the already bad situation, the issue of zoning has continued to dog the party since the emergence of President Jonathan. The seeming jettisoning of zoning, coupled with the desperate desire of the north to recapture power, has also exacerbated the situation. In fact, it is not only PDP that is feeling the impact of the implosion in the party. The entire nation does. The consequences have been the onslaught by Boko Haram and other militant groups in the north, endless crises of confidence in the party, and the bad blood across the country, leading to bloody conflicts between communities, religions and tribes.
In any case, 2015 remains the big prize and the major reason for the intensification of crisis in the party. Each ethnic nationality wants to assume the presidency in 2015. So, who will bell the cat? There is no way we can sit and watch the ongoing crises persist. As stakeholders, we need to do something fast before it becomes too late.
Those fanning the embers of hate in the party will normally like the situation to get worse, so that their devious aim can be attained quickly. But for people like me, I love peace, progress and justice. Good conscience demands then that all men and women of honour speak out against what is happening in our great party. The law of retributive justice is having its toll on our party, no doubt. What did you expect to happen when men and women that founded and nurtured the party were thrown into the 'dustbin'? It is like a man toiling day and night to build a house, but is not allowed to inhabit it in the end. Justice demands that the party reaches out to all those it had unjustly treated to bring them back on board. By so doing, the curse on the party will be removed. This may sound puerile or too simplistic, but it is a fact.
I chose to return to the party out of the love I have for it and the need to contribute to its rebirth. I do not care about the tantrums thrown at me by some of the desperadoes and opportunists that call the shots in the party today. Let me ask: Where were they when we worked assiduously to found and nurture the party to its present 'unbeatable' state? Those involved know themselves and should provide the answer to the question. All I care for now is what we can collectively do to rescue the party from the deadly grip of the wolves that are working to asphyxiate it.
As the leader of PDP, the President, as I have always written, has a major role to play in restoring order and internal democracy in the party. I am glad he has already set out to do this. The committee he set up recently is a right step in the right direction. Nonetheless, he should go a step further by immediately ensuring that the Nigeria Governors' Forum (NGF) is back to life. The current crisis rocking the forum is a bomb waiting to explode. Let us forget about our individual interests and biases and work for the growth of our party.
I must confess that I am worried that the NGF was allowed, in the first instance, to be infiltrated by enemies of our dear nation. By tearing the forum apart the enemies are gradually reaching their wicked goal of totally destroying our party and Nigeria. Should we allow them to succeed? President Jonathan and all of us in the party should not allow this shame to be brought upon us. It will be a huge tragedy if PDP is allowed to die at this critical time in our national life. Those angling for one office or another in 2015 should see where they can make some adjustments to accommodate the interest of the party, if theirs are antithetical to its advancement. It is better that an individual loses his ambition and saves the party than for him to achieve his selfish desire and destroy all of us and the nation.
The National Working Committee (NWC) of PDP should be strengthened to discharge its duties equitably and efficiently. There are definitely some members of the committee who work against the interest of the party. They should be fished out and quarantined. The committee should be a galvanizing force and not a divisive one as it is perceived at present.
I must commend NWC for promptly reversing the suspension of the governor of Sokoto State. It was not a victory for the governor, but for internal democracy in the party. This is the path the committee should tow: the path of rectitude and true reconciliation. It should extend the same olive branch to all those currently facing one disciplinary action or another.
It makes no sense to talk about reconciliation if it is selective and unwholesome. We need to jettison our ego and work together to confront the monster threatening to consume the party and, by extension, the nation. This is the only time we have to save the sinking ship of our party and work for the sustainable development of Nigeria.
PDP has come to stay and those who think otherwise should toe the path of honour and integrity by resigning from the party. PDP is bigger than any individual and the earlier we all appreciate this fact, the better.
Via: Sun News Online